Permanent Vegetable Production System

Work package permanent vegetable production system is about testing the feasibility of sustainable vegetable rotation systems, demonstrating modern techniques of vegetable production and to train pilot farmers. In areas like the Northern Coastal Plain of Central Java, basis knowledge needs to be developed to be able to change a stagnant situation in vegetable production to a situation of growth and development. Research is needed on the applicability of permanent vegetable production systems, to increase vegetable production on existing agricultural land and to raise the income of the farmers.

Demonstration fields with vegetable crop rotations are set up to demonstrate and test several crop rotations with vegetable crops. The purpose of this fields are to demonstrate the feasibility of permanent vegetable production compared to the traditional system where vegetable production on raised beds is alternated with flooded rice production. With permanent vegetable production the productivity of vegetables will increase due to a more intensive cropping pattern with vegetables compared to the current rotation that includes rice production. Productivity will also increase due to a possible better performance of the crops compared to growing vegetables in a system were fields are in use for flooded rice production alternating with the production on raised beds of vegetable crops.

Permanent vegetable rotations may result in improved soil conditions, build-up of organic matter and improved rooting zones. In addition, one may expect that fertilizer and pesticide use can be reduced. Finally, labour requirement in vegetable crops is substantially higher than in rice production. On the other hand, with permanent raised beds the labour requirement will decrease somewhat because the construction and flattening of beds before and after rice production, is no longer needed.